Progressive Views on the News

September 30, 2009

Charisma

Some random thoughts. The New York Post says that Sarah Palin is not selling well on the lecture circuit. Maybe it’s her six-figure fee. But I’m not counting her out. Anyone who thinks she can’t fill a hall and rock a crowd is underestimating her and the Post will be proved wrong.

Her book is already a best seller. I’m more skeptical of that. Bookstores are stocking up, but when you check out the NYT best seller list, look for that little thingy that indicates bulk orders. One way to get to the top is to buy truckloads of your own book.

Ever hear of Aimee Semple McPherson? She was a player too–sexy, religious and patriotic. She founded the first megachurch and got very rich before she ran off the rails. It’s a hazard of being a mavericky rogue.

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3 thoughts on “Charisma”

I suggest that the economy is really behind the less than enthusiastic market for all speakers these days (myself included). Ms Palin is a top tier speaker with the best of agents, no matter what your political perspective is. She is effective and popular, but the market is the market, and there is less money around for expensive speakers. Usually, it is not just the speaker’s fee that is covered, but transportation, hotel, meals, limo, and other negotiated extras.

As for the book, again she is really not much different than other “authors” with names. The contracts are big, but the advance sales paid by boosters and friends and supporters, pretty much covers the cost the publisher has. In the end, too many books will be printed, most of the advance sales are given away, and the rest are left as remainders that get sold (or not) for 10% of the list price. It is the nature of the industry these days.

Really, a movie,…that’s where the big dollars are: filmrights and maybe a TV comedy series or HBO special, filmed in Alaska. I see a cameo appearance by Dick Cheney in the movie and the TV show. Prhaps a scene where he goes hunting in Alaska.

It is unclear who Mr. Obama’s ghostwriter is, likely one of the Chicago “advisors,” but a TV show with him and Joe Biden would be a hit; Joe could sing and dance.

It took 30 years to figure out who worte John Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage” and most of his speeches. Reagen kept a fascinating duary, and ironical as it may appear, Nixon, the evil one, turned out to be a very good writer of political history.

The last President who wrote all of what he said or published, and there are some 14 volumes of writings, was Abraham Lincoln. FDR fashioned much, wrote much but not all. Eisenhower looks better and better, and was an excellent writer as it turns out and an interesting painter.